What are you in for?
by wizard4hire
Summary: A Transformers story of action, humor and differing methods two Autobots find themselves detained while serving in the most dangerous factions of the war. Who are they and what did they do? They're answering that themselves. First person story of two Original Characters that switches perspectives. Also takes place in a TF universe more like Prime than anything, but still neutral.
1. Torrent

The guards escorted me down the stairs, and they weren't very cheery about it. The stasis cuffs, even at low power, were a little too bulky for my liking. I suppose the guards appreciated them, kept me from doing anything crazy.  
Not that I would. I've had my allotment of crazy since they decided to put me away for doing my job.

"Hey hey," the leering Decepticon in one of the cells said, holding his arm out to me, "Come bring that little blue one closer."

The guard closest to this scrapper could have batted his hands back into the cell, but I darted forward and put all my weight against his arm, bending it back but not breaking it. Still enough to get a scream out of the creeper. The guards than took a tight hold of me under my arms and than lifted me. Kind of embarrassing, but hey, the Con _did_ want me closer.  
The guards hurriedly carried me to a cell and got me inside before I could do anymore damage to the precious P.O.W.'s. With all I've seen, with all they've done, we were being too kind. But anyway, the guards got me into the cell, removed the stasis cuffs and locked me in. I had originally thought it was a cell to myself, lower chance of breaking things, but one look to my right proved me wrong.  
There was a large Autobot lying on a slab against the wall. The bot was bright red, the spikes and horns on his helm, five in total, all went upwards in seemingly random directions as though they were all damaged at some point. With the hints of yellow in it, it made me think of a fire. He was definitely taller than I was and packed subtle muscle in his frame, with scratches in his paint here and there, especially the scaring of his fists, it all signified one thing. He was a brawler, and a good one.

I took the slab on the other end of the room, trying to wrap my head around what had gotten me in here. It was ridiculous the more I thought about it. Insubordination was a heavy charge, but there was a standing order I was much more willing to follow. Might have been because I liked my actual commanding officer more than the temp, but also because Ultra Magnus doesn't really like when the facts change and the rest of us are willing to change with them and he isn't.

"Hiya," a voice said. I looked up and saw my cell mate was awake and sitting up. He had bright blue optics, very startling compared to his red shell. And he was smiling, "How're you?"

 _He's seriously just asking me that like we met on the street?_ I thought to myself.

"Not too well, I'd guess," he continued, "I mean, we're both in the brig. Well at least we're not in the field. Fine by me, I need the rest." _Sweet Primus he's insane._ "'N the way these Wreckers fight, I'm very glad for the time off. What do you think?"

"I think the inactivity will drive me nuts."

"You only just got here."

"And I'm stuck in a cell with some crazy bot."

"Crazy?" he said, smiling, "Maybe. Who isn't, in their own way?"

"Uh… Me."

He laughed at that, quiet and genuine. "Of course, sorry to doubt you. Name's Spitfire."

"Torrent," I said. Briskly.

"Nice to meet ya, Torrent. Though the circumstances could be better," Spitfire said, "'N I guess that leaves one question."

"What got us in here, right?"

"Yeah. I can go first, if-"

"No. I kind of want to talk about it, but… I don't want to burden you with my issues."

"We're trading them, Torrent," Spitfire said, "Unless you murdered someone."

"Tempted as I have been at the idea recently, I don't think I ever could," I stopped, thinking about how I was fighting in a war and what I had done. "Well, not the premeditated kind. Killing someone out of combat or without them slighting me in a really bad way, that's not me. Not to mention these Wreckers have crazy loyalty to someone who doesn't so much plan as plow."

"You don't like Ultra Magnus, then," Spitfire said, more than asked.

"No, I damn well don't.

-

This mess all started about seven days ago. First three of them were boring, the transfer to the Wreckers, all the talk about how so little a bot could be such trouble. All the standard scrap. But four cycles ago, command ordered me to check out what was supposed to be an abandoned energon well. Supposed to have gone dry before the war even started. But the Decepticons were giving it another shot and the Wreckers wanted to know why before they eventually came to their cure all decision.

 _Kill it with plasma grenades?_

How'd you ever guess? But the scouting was more of how many grenades would be needed. I think the plan was to take out the Decepticons at the facility and use the well for ourselves. I was on a purely recon mission, no enemy engagement unless they shot first. And being a Wrecker, they gave me a couple of grenades for no reason, especially for what they wanted to be pure recon. Silly rules and giving us the tools to break them. Not exactly my speed but I could play along. So I got dropped off and I made my way through the growing wasteland that surrounded this well.  
When I got there, the Decepticons had dug in well for an assault. Gun towers backed by a sniper, with heavy armored brutes outside the front door. Patrols of drones coming and going in the standard five bot formation. Didn't take long to see a pattern and a way inside. Bit of climbing and I could make a good jump.

 _Jump where?_

Into the sniper's nest. Trick is to land quietly enough to avoid notice but hard enough to take out the gunner. But when you've practiced it as much as I have, you get it down to a science. After a nice solid thud and disabling the Con's weapons, I headed into the makeshift base. If the Decepticons were here long, then they had spent most of the time fortifying the perimeter. The machinery that was abandoned here was in terrible shape, everything was so corroded there was no chance of repairing or using it. Fortunately the rafters fared better and I could walk on those in relative silence. Security was much more lax as well, only the occasional floor walker, more focused on their task than a security sweep. That said, they were heavily armed and armored for doing what looked like menial tasks. Almost looked like a special guard compared to the ones outside. About half an hour of sneaking around I found out why the wanderers seem so much more than the usual suspects. They were working for Shockwave.

 _That one-eyed scientist?_

That's the most lax description of the bot you could make. That arm of his that's a cannon is bigger than I am! Has no face to speak of, just the eye and he's taller and broader than any Autobot I've met. I bet it comes in handy to hide how smart he is.  
Anyway, I hunkered down once I saw him, but he was busy using a computer, only turning to see one of his guards approaching.

"We have the latest data on the energon, my lord, and it is as you predicted."

"Excellent," Shockwave said in a cold, almost monotone voice if it weren't for the barest hints of a sinister glee, "I shall inform Lord Megatron upon verification. Any enemy units in the vicinity?"

"Aerial surveillance has reveled a Wrecker outpost. Conventional bombing is impossible and artillery would do little but damage the surrounding structures. The Autobots have chosen their position well, we would likely harm only the civilians with standard ordinance."

"Civilians?"

"Yes, Lord Shockwave," the guard said, bringing up a hologram of a map. The outpost I was working out of was in the center, "They have turned to the Autobots for protection. Optimus Prime himself ordered evacuation shuttles to arrive within the cycle."

"And who would expect such a small outpost to be attacked at all?" Shockwave asked aloud and I knew in my spark where he was going, "Begin preparations for bombing run. This tainted energon will kill anyone though a minimum of exposure. But to sway him, we must record the results and provide samples. Be sure those that retrieve the bodies are properly protected."

"Is Lord Megatron that hard to convince?"

"To pull his soldiers away from fighting to do work, yes. He is quite focused on war. Should the Autobots be destroyed, maintaining the built up aggression of his forces will prove problematic."

 _So if Shockwave doesn't like Megatron's ideas towards leadership, why work for him?_

Getting there. So Shockwave continued, "If he seeks to make himself ruler of unruly individuals, individuals he has chosen for his army in some form of 'peace through tyranny' idealism, logic would dictate a new ruler will be inevitable."

"Indeed, Lord Shockwave," the soldier said with a great deal of gleeful malice. He went off and Shockwave went to a panel computer to type in numbers, leaving me with a refinery to destroy.

 _Destroy? Seems-_

What else was there to do!? Go back to the Wreckers so they can do the same job? Let the scrapped up Cons get a new chemical weapon? No time to do anything but stop the plan before it started and make sure similar plans with the same tainted energon could never come to be. Would you sit back and wait for approval from base? For them to launch a full out assault?

 _I can honestly say no._

Thought so. No time to wait, no time to call for orders. Just knew in my spark I had to end this place. I snuck as quietly as I could towards the main storage of this energon. It was under the guard of two of Shockwave's personal troops. No obvious entrances besides the front door and the standard drones didn't come near it. I could handle two Cons, no matter how scary their boss.  
I readied my swords, planed my attack and jumped. The idea was to get them both stabbed thought the head or neck so they'd fall quickly. Only the one to my left must have spotted me at the last second. He managed to get away from my ambush with little more than a slash across his chest plate. His partner wasn't so lucky, I all but decapitated him through a combination of my blade to his neck and the force of my landing on top of him.  
His partner, clutching his chest with one hand and turning the other into a blaster took a couple of shots at me. I was already tumbling towards him, slashing at his leg near his knee. I don't know if I hit anything serious, but it got a cry out of him and he went down. He was still trying to shoot me though, turning to aim at me as quickly as he could. Close quarters combat doesn't seem to be a primary concern for these guys. I was already out of his field of vision, tackling him to the ground, pinning his blaster arm as I stabbed him in the back. He stopped resisting almost immediately after that, quite a lot of energon spilling out of the stab wound. With both guards dead, no alarm raised and a quick scan showing no Con's around, I was free to blow that place to hell.

 _Subtle. What about the bodies?_

If an explosion doesn't let them know something's wrong, two corpses sure as hell won't. And while I complain about the grenades I was given but was told never to use, I was suddenly very grateful. Something in the back of my mind was making me think the standard Wrecker gear was doing nothing but slowing me down, getting rid of it and being productive towards the safety of my comrades seemed like a great plan. Two for one. Just needed a way of timing it. I wanted to be out of here before the refinery went up, especially if simple exposure to this stuff would kill me. Didn't plan on dying, so I'd have to put something together. If I could get away with a simple timer and hide the soon to be bomb, I should be good.

"Halt Autobot!" came a voice from behind me. _'Well scrap'_ went through my head as I darted into the refinery, locking the doors behind me in a rush, so it would only buy me a little time. Quick look around and I saw some facemasks, probably to help protect workers. I grabbed one and pulled it over my face before heading into the work area. There were vats of steaming energon everywhere with a small stockpile of cubes being managed by workers in masks like mine.

"Better get running fellas!" I shouted at them as I ran past, pulling two grenades off the belt clip, on in each hand, causing them to shout things at me. And of course the guard after me busts in at this point, shouting things like, "Stop her!" but I knew he wouldn't risk shooting, a shot at this distance had a better chance of hitting the vats than it did me, not that he was needed to start a chain reaction.  
I primed the grenades and tossed them sideways as best as I could, transformed and drove as fast as possible.

One Spark-beat.  
Two Spark-beats.  
Three S-BamBamFFFRROOOM!

Primus it was loud and it did nothing but get louder. I started to scan around for anything getting me out into the open. An open top drainage ditch provided it. I jumped in and didn't look back. The ditch opened up several klicks away but I still kept moving. I veered off and headed for Autobot lines… aaaand when I finally got there I was promptly arrested for destruction of resources and disobeying orders. So that's my story. That's why I'm sitting here, getting to tell you all about the fun, fun, FUN.


	2. Spitfire

"That's why I'm sitting here, getting to tell you all about the fun, fun, FUN." Torrent finished. Watching her carefully, I could almost see her teeth grinding in the back of her mouth, her fists knotted to the point of stress fractures. A lot of emotion in this one. Lucky for me, the bad stuff wasn't directed at me.

"Edgy?" I asked, looking at my cell mate. Torrent had managed to unconsciously shift from sitting upright to lying on her back with her legs crawling up the wall while telling her story. It was very funny. Especially with how grumpy she was about the circumstance. But then, from all she's said, I was pretty sure confinement was the best way to torture her. Not that I ever would but always good to know what to avoid with friends, "Why not angry?"

"Oh, I think I'm so angry I'm relatively calm," she said, looking over at me, "Like, I'm so mad I can't express it all at once without violence and you're too much of a stranger to hate, so…"

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," I said. She smiled at that.

"Talk then. You owe me a story."

"Fair enough."

*****

Nearly two weeks ago, I was on what amounted to a removal of a mortar emplacement. Small unit behind the lines to make it easier for the front line fighters. Standard Wrecker fair if orientation day was to be believed. Though how often the Wrecker commander took the field did surprise me.

 _Wrecker commander… You can't mean you served directly under_ him _?_

If you're talkin' about Ultra Magnus, then yes, I do mean him. Wasn't the whole time, though. Only for one day. He felt the need to oversee this mission. Apparently, some crazy demolitions fanatic had been running rough-shot over these outposts, all but getting himself and his squad killed in the process. Magnus wanted to end that. Personally overseeing what was hopefully going to be the one to cripple such operations in the sector might have been unnecessary. Or it could have been his way of taking no chances. Either way, he was going to stop the Cons, civilians be damned.

 _Woah! What?_

It was the start of my problem with him. The Decepticons had housed their artillery within a section of the Neutral Territories and were holding a few of the residents hostage. Ultra Magnus seemed preoccupied at the danger to our own territory and our own people. Thing is, I got roped into this side in the hope of helping all Cybertronians, not just one side.

 _That's a bit optimistic. How long have you been fighting?_

Long enough. I was told once bots like me keep everyone else honest. So, being the new guy, I got volunteered to run support on this mission, backing up the weapons expert Leadfoot while Magnus lead two other Wreckers, Roadbuster and Rotorstorm, to the central cannons. They would then branch out to take down the rest. Leadfoot and I were only to observe and inform them of reinforcements and to keep the neutrals clear. Though why any of them would want to go near Decepticons is beyond me.  
Have to admit, the flight over was illuminating.

"Wreckers, we are three klicks from our target zone," Ultra Magnus said, piloting the ship towards the Territories, "Are there any questions before we arrive?"

"Why bring five bots for a three bot job?" Rotorstorm asked. He was pretty stout for a flyer, busy prepping his weapons, "I worked the plan out, sir. Why bring rolly-polly and the new guy?"

"Who're you callin' rolly-polly, you scrapheap?" Leadfoot stood up, jabbing a finger into Rotorstrom's face, Roadbuster taking hold and guiding him back to his seat, laughing to himself.

"Gentlemen!" Ultra Magnus cut in, hardly taking his eyes off of the controls, "It is protocol to have teams of five. With luck, Leadfoot and Spitfire will not be needed. Even so, I will not risk this mission for your pride."

"It isn't pride if I'm always right," Rotorstorm said, folding his arms. He then glanced at me, "So what's your story?"

"Lad's got no story to tell," Roadbuster said, sitting down next to me, slapping my arm in a brotherly manner, "But somehow this simple miner became one of the finest close quarters combatants we've ever had with the Wreckers. No story at all."

 _Sarcasm much?_

Kinda what I thought. But I always try to be polite. I didn't talk much to any of the Wreckers because with all they're known for the crazy, fringe stuff I had pure luck in surviving. So talking would either bore them or make them feel like the rookies compared to me. Still didn't have a good idea on how to gage their measure of exploits.. Anyhow, Rotorstorm passed up his opportunity to press the matter and I asked Ultra Magnus, "Should there be neutrals in the area, what do we do?"

"As I have already said, they are non-combatants," Magnus said, more exasperated than the last time I asked, "There shouldn't be any there."

"It's where they live, sir. Where else should they be?"

"You are to watch for Decepticon reinforcements and inform us of their approach. If these neutrals felt our war is not for them, they will have left the area."

"The Decepticons may have taken hostages."

"Then the three of us shall do our best to secure their safety."

"I'm startin' to agree with the kid," Leadfoot said, "You sure you don't want us to come with? Or just Spitfire. I can look after my tail pipe and yours at the same time."

"These neutrals, whose safety Spitfire is so concerned about, have no love for the Autobots or the Decepticons. They may want us gone the moment we show up. But we will stay until our task is done" Ultra Magnus said, flipping switches and levers, readying for landing, "If you two spot any neutrals trying to interfere, keep them away. And it will take two, at minimum, to do so. It is why Spitfire is the one to keep them out of danger, he is keen on that facet of the plan. And you are still recovering from your mission in the Badlands. Your main focus is the Decepticons, and informing us if they send in reinforcements. The three of us can handle them once they are funneled into the emplacements. And this is the last time I will repeat myself. We're here."

The ship touched down and Ultra Magnus pointed out some easily defendable high ground and Leadfoot and I walked up as they transformed and the Decepticon camp. Once we had made it to the top of the hill, we went prone and took up thermal rangefinders.

"Anything?" Leadfoot asked, busy looking over our left hand side.

"A lot of empty homes," I said.

"Don't let it get to you, kid. Rather they were abandoned than bombed while occupied."

"No argument here." I glanced at Ultra Magnus' position to see that the three Wreckers were making short work of the Decepticon garrison. I was about to be a smart mouth and comment on it when I saw some movement. On coming from the east was a squad of Decepticons, almost a dozen of them. They were making a straight line for Ultra Magnus' position and that would have been fine. Only between the 'Cons and Magnus was a makeshift village of civilians. I radioed in, "Ultra Magnus, you have an incoming Decepticons squad due east of your position. I count about twelve altogether."

"Understood. We are on track with our task; let them move through the ruins. The space is close here, so their numbers won't mean much."

"Sir, from their approach they will hit the civilian settlement before you," I added with a little urgency in my voice.

"If we are their target, they should simply bypass the civilians. Remain at your post and update us if you see any more inbound."

"Yes, sir." I exchanged a look with Leadfoot. At the time, I had assumed he would have been more broken up about being cut out of the action. I was wrong, he returned a sympathetic look and a shrug, 'bot after my own spark. Would have gotten use to life in the Wreckers if it wasn't for what happened next.  
The two of us kept our optics trained on the advancing Decepticons and we watched as they hit the edge of the settlement. Nine moved forward to meet with Ultra Magnus, three just seemed to disappear for a moment before I looked back to the civilians. There they were, looked like a shake down more than anything until one Con shot someone half his size in the leg.

 _What the hell for?!_

At that distance my hearing doesn't do much good. Probably objected to something. I tried to radio Ultra Magnus but no response. Without looking for approval or condemnation from Leadfoot, I leapt over our cover and transformed, speeding towards the commotion with a steady simmer of a temper. Though the engine revs behind me gave me a bit to smile about. Leadfoot and I moved in without a thought towards stealth but the Decepticons we were heading towards were either too busy or too curious to fire upon us. When we got close enough, we transformed and moved for some rubble cover and then my hearing started to pull its weight.

"Why are you doing this?" a pained and desperate voice asked, "We just want to be left alone, out of your war."

"You mean, 'our war', pally," an unusually friendly and taunting voice replied. At the time I recognized only the accent so don't ask who it was just yet. Story for another time. "We're fightin' the Autobots so you can be equal to everyone, even me. And to hear the Autobots tell it, they fight for your freedom. Either way, you and all like you are at the center of it. There would be many who would have you all killed for your desertion. Lucky my commander and I aren't those kind of bots, yeah?"

"Then what is it you want?"

"You. Just got done sayin' you were at the center of this." I risked a look at this bot and my eyes went wide. His name was Powerline. He worked in the energon mines, processing the raw crystallized energy into something to be purified later on. He always had ambition though and when the war came he took the opportunity for something better. "Seems rather unfair that you don't lift a finger for your own cause, so we're here to welcome you into the Decepticon Empire."

 _Pressgang in the middle of a counterattack. Little desperate, isn't it?_

That same thought struck me too, but if there's an opportunity, you take it. And without anything else in mind, I signaled for Leadfoot to circle around and popped out from the cover, hands at my sides and in very plain view. Keeping my voice even, I said, "Now, let's just hold off on the recruitment for a moment. We can talk-"

"Well, well…" Powerline dragged out, weapon still trained on a lightly built Cybertronian who was shielding the one that was shot, "Small world, ain't it? What're you called again, Backfire?"

"Spitfire," I corrected.

"Right… Called you that before you left the mines, if I remember," Powerline said, "You've been busy since. Three of your old pals dead by your own hands. How's that sit with you?"

"Not well. Rather not add to the list if I can, Powerline," I said, "So what can we do to avoid that happening?"

"You could hold still. Make my aim a little easier." I didn't like the turn this conversation had taken and as Powerline brought his weapon to fire in my direction, I dashed towards one of the other Decepticons, the one that was largely uninterested in our little drama and busy keeping an eye on the civilians. With a yell, Leadfoot burst from his cover and body slammed the other Con, splitting Powerline's attention as I punched my Con into unconsciousness. Powerline put his arms wide, his weapon loose on the end of his finger, speaking like we were all friends, "Now… We've all been a little rash, perhaps we can talk."

"Why didn't I think of that?" I said more then asked, holding my hand out for his gun, "Easy, now. Weapon-based accidents aren't really smiled upon."

"Nor insubordination." I glanced at Ultra Magnus as he advanced. Other than being caked in spilled energon, he looked none the worse for wear. From the sound of things behind him, Rotarstorm and Roadbuster will still on task. I took Powerline's weapon and stood before the Wrecker commander, "You disobeyed my orders, soldier. There are reasons we have a chain of command in war and I have had enough of this disreguard in the Wreckers."

"Ooooo!" Powerline let out, trying to claim some semblance of victory from this mess.

"Mind if I arrest myself, sir?" I said, "Just walk into one of the holding cells once we get back to base?"

"Protocol states you must be remanded into an officer's custody," Ultra Magnus said, shifting the weight of his war hammer over his shoulder.

"I can look after the kid," Leadfoot said, hauling his catch over to him. I looked around and it was as though the civilians were never there. Sans a pool of energon. At least they knew how to get out of trouble.

"Leadfoot was down here to save me anyhow, sir," I said, hoping to keep him clear of the guilt. True, we didn't agree to rushing into this, but he sure didn't protest.

"Very well. Bring the prisoners back to the shuttle. You may have freedom of movement until our task is done."

 ** _-Epilogue-_**

Spitfire's story came to a close and I thought he was even crazier than ever. Either that or he's a saint of a bot in a hell of a time. One of the two.

"And that's the story of my new digs," Spitfire said, eyeing the small window, "I'm thinkin' decorations. We could use somethin' to brighten the place up."

"Okay, I'm thinking we're both in some deep scrap." I was properly sitting now. Fuming at how we had ended up here just trying to do the right thing. I mean, sure, I messed a lot of 'Cons up doing what I did, but he was saving lives. I really hate the Wreckers now.

"Mmm… Figured there isn't much to do until they have time for a disciplinary hearing. Got another story?"

"What about how you even knew Powerline before the war?"

"So… My life story?" He was smiling and I was still thinking he was insane. Who in their right mind could be happy with this? Then something caught his attention outside of the cell and he stood up. He gestured for me to do the same and I stood just in time for an Autobot to appear and open our cell. He was tall and broad, mostly red with iron gray shoulders and scars here and there.

"Name's Ironhide," he said in a gruff drawl, pronouncing his name 'Arn-Hide' Weird. "You two have been released into my tender lovin' care. Let's go."

"Why your care?" I asked.

"You follow me if you wanna find out," he said before turning to walk away, "I ain't talkin' in front of those 'Cons there 'n I'm not one for waitin'." Ironhide walked away and I exchanged a look with Spitfire. He shrugged and gestured for me to go first and I took the lead. We followed Ironhide out of the jail and onto a shuttle craft and I noticed Ultra Magnus was part of the farewell committee. Couldn't help but smirk at that, but then I was fond of being snarky. Ironhide told someone named Sideswipe to take us out of here and then he turned to us. "Right, well we best get on thing straight right away. Neither one of you is off the hook. Prime pulled some strings but-"

"'Prime' as in Optimus Prime?"

"Don't interrupt. Now he has enough pull to get two young, bright bots like yourselves on a more productive track than spending time inna box. Help me with this squad I'm puttin' together. You'll work off your 'offense', such as it was 'n we'll fit the bill for your room and board. How's that sound?"

"Well… Pretty good," Spitfire said, "How'd he learn so quick about Torrent, though?"

"Stopped Shockwave all on her own. News like that travels fast. 'N don't think I forgot 'bout someone who honors the spirit of what we do and not just the letter. The two of you don't fit the Wreckers, not as Magnus would have 'em. We still need someone for the dirty jobs, stuff that won't be talked about but needs doin'."

"Stuff like what?" I asked, more and more intrigued.

"Relocation of precious cargo," Ironhide said. I felt my face fall flat and he said, without missing a beat, "Trust me, it'll be hell. Only takin' the best 'cause that's what Prime needs, what Cybertron needs. So what do you two say, in or out?"

"If we're out, what happens?" Spitfire asked. Though if I were to bet, he had already made his choice.

"Prime would probably find something for ya to do, but I already have a job 'n no time to baby sit. So you'll have to wait it out in someone else's custody until then."

"I'm in for sure," I said, "Anything to avoid a boring box with a crazy Autobot. No offense."

"None taken," Spitfire said, "'N I've got nothin' planned beyond decorating my cell that I don't have to be in anymore."

"Alright," Ironhide said, grinning a little. I looked at Spitfire and nudged him a bit, he smiled back. Maybe he was crazy, but you would probably have to be to be my friend.


End file.
